The Oxfordshire based team's founder and boss revealed not only that every fire extinguisher in the Barcelona paddock was willingly discharged, but that the other team principals had stepped forward with offers to help Williams recover from the loss of nearly everything in the pits.

"The reaction was extraordinary," he told the Telegraph. "Overwhelming. My main job when I get to Monaco is to go around all the team principals and thank them, and try to pay them back for whatever they gave us."

Photo: WRi2

Chief engineer Mark Gillan is quoted by Spain's El Pais newspaper as putting a figure on how much of the team's travelling equipment was destroyed in Spain -- 90 per cent.

"That includes every metal component on Bruno (Senna)'s car through corrosion," he said.

Senna confirmed to El Mundo newspaper: "I think that from the car I raced in Barcelona the only thing that is the same now is the tub."

Williams is still missing some things, but Mark Gillan insisted that the fire will not affect the team's Monaco grand prix.

"In fact, you can run an F1 car with one laptop if you have to. You don't want to, but we are fully operational," he insisted.